Brain-controlled device to restore movement after paralysis
Official title: Visuomotor Prosthetic for Paralysis
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11266028 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project works to turn signals from two brain areas into controls so people with tetraplegia can steer devices or robotic limbs more naturally.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,355,439 |
| NIH project number | 2UG1EY032039-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11266028 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with tetraplegia who are willing and eligible to receive brain implants and travel to the clinical site would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without paralysis, those with conditions that make surgery or implants unsafe, or people unwilling to undergo implant-related visits are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
You would take part at a clinical site where researchers record brain activity from two regions (posterior parietal cortex and motor cortex) in people with tetraplegia who have brain implants. They will compare how those brain areas represent planning, sensing, and executing movements while participants do tasks like navigating, drawing, and controlling multiple devices at once. The team uses those recordings to improve algorithms that translate neural signals into commands for cursors, prosthetic arms, or other assistive devices. Earlier work showed these brain signals remain stable after injury, and this project builds on that to make device control more reliable and useful in daily life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let people with paralysis control assistive devices more naturally and regain useful, functional actions.
How similar studies have gone: Other brain-machine interface trials have enabled some people with paralysis to control cursors and robotic limbs, and this project builds on those successes while exploring new brain areas and tasks.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Andersen, Richard a — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Andersen, Richard a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Neuromuscular Junction Problems in Hyperkalemic Paralysis
A clinician-scientist is pursuing five years of advanced training and research to better understand and care for people with neuromuscular diseases related to hyperkalemic paralysis.
-
Restoring movement after paralysis with AI-powered copilots
A patient-facing AI-aided system would help people with paralysis perform everyday tasks by interpreting the user’s intent and guiding assistive robots.
-
CoPE II: Personalizing patient-reported outcomes for vocal fold paralysis care
Aimed at tailoring patient-reported outcome measures to each person with unilateral vocal fold paralysis to better guide treatment decisions.
-
Mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis control devices
Aimed at improving a mobile brain-computer interface to help veterans with paralysis better control assistive devices at home.
-
Preventing awareness during paralysis in emergency ventilated patients and reducing PTSD
This project will change emergency department medication defaults to cut back on a paralytic drug and see if that lowers the chance that adults put on ventilators wake up while paralyzed and later develop PTSD.
-
Muscle stem cells to repair paralyzed vocal cords
This project uses muscle-derived stem cells to rebuild and strengthen paralyzed vocal cords in adults with vocal fold paralysis.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.